Rail chair and fastener.



'J. E.'.SHOPE.-

RAIL CHAIR AND FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED .DEC. 7."l9l4. I

' PatentedSept. 21, 1915.

{l'All/IES E. SHGPE; OF CONNELLSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

' R n CHAIRAND FASTENER.

. specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

" Application filed December 7, 1914. Serial No. 875,908.:

T all whom it may conccrm- Be it known that I, JAMES E. SHOPE, citizen of the United States, residing at Connellsville, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Chairs and Fasteners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will .en'- able others skilled in the art. to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in rail chairs and fasteners and it has for its object to improve upon United States Pat ent 588,360 issued to me August 17, 1897.

Among other features, this patent includes a rigid fish plate having cans for attachment to the cross ties, rigid plate contacting with the inner sides of the rails, a movable fish plate contacting with the outer sides thereof, means for forcing the movable plate toward the fixed plate to securely clamp the rails therebetween, and pins-projecting from the fixed plate through al ined openings in the rails and in the movable plate.

This construction, although very eflicient in climates where the temperature does not suddenly change has been found to be inefficient in other climates, on account of the fact that sudden changes in temperature cause the rails to so suddenly expand or contract, as the case may be, as to cause the.

pins to be sheared ofh With a device con structed as shown in this "patent, it is impossible to replace these pins without replacing the entire rigi fish plate.

The object of the vention is, therefore, to provide means or reihovably securing the pins to one of the fish plates, whereby should one or any number of these pins be. broken, they may be placed.

To the above ehd, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction and combination herein described and shown in the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device constructed in accordance with my invention: and Figs. 2 and 3 are detail vertical transverse sections as seen on the lines 2 -2 and 33 of Fig. 1.

In these drawings, forming a part of this application the meeting ends of a-pair of rails R are shown, said ends being supported quickly and easily reon the usual cross tiesT, two of the latter bemg here shown. Interposed between the two ties T is a base plate 1 which underlies the bases of the rails and whose outer end is integrally united'with a bridge plate 2 which overlies the outer ends of the ties and which is secured thereto by apair of spikes 3. The center of this bridge plate 2 is provided with an outwardly and upwardly inclining boss 4 for a purpose to appear. Integ'rally united. with the inner end of the base plate 1, is a rigid fishplate 5, said plate being provided with a pair of inwardly projecting attaching plates'6 'at its opposite ends, said plates 6 being secured to the ties by any suitable number of spikes 7, two being here'shown as passing through each plate.

By reference-more particularlyjo Figs. 2 and-3, it Wlll be seen that the rigid fish plate 5 contacts with the inner sides of the two rails R and that a movable fish plate 8 contacts with the outer sides of {sand plate 8 being provided with a downwardly and outwardly inclining arm 9 which projects through an opening 10 in the base plate 1 and which contacts with the outerwall of said opening. .VVith the parts In this position, a bolt 11 is passed through the free end of the arm 9, upwardly through the bridge plate 2 and boss 4 thereon, andis' equipped with a clamping nut 12, whereby tightening of the latter will rock the arm 9 these rails, I

ings being located adjacent the inner side of i said plate as shown. These openings 13 aline with circular openings which are formed through the webs of the rails R and through the movable'plate 8. With theparts in this position, pins 14 having tapered inner ends 15 are passed through the alined openings in the movable fish plate and in the rails, and have their-tapered" inner ends 15 snugly seatedin the openings 13 and projecting inwardly beyond the latter, cotter pins 16 being then passed through these projecting ends, whereby to prevent removal of the pins 14..

\Vith the parts constructed as above described, should any of the studs or pins 14.- be sheared oil by expansion-0r contraction of the rails they may be easily removed by removing the cotter pins 16 and new pins may be substituted therefor. This is evidently a marked improvement over the patout above mentioned. By providing pins of substantially the same size throughout their length, a slight longitudinal movement of the rails and plates on said pins is attainable, thus allowing for expansion and contraction of the parts and also to allow for slight adjustments -As clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the sides of the fish plates 5 and 8 which contact with the rails R are provided with longitudinal grooves, this provision being made in order that current conducting bonds may be employed for electrically connecting the meeting ends of the rails.

Although tiese changes are simply matters of degree, I have decreased the number of spikes used in securing the device to the ties, but have increased the number of pins,

since practically all rails now in use, are provided avith six bolt receiving openings, this number of pins being therefore shown. From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be seen that a comparatively simple yethighly e'liicient device is provided for carrying out the objects of the invention.

integers I claim.

The combination with the meeting ends of a pair of rails, a rigid fish plate contacting with one side thereof, having means for attachment to a cross tie, said rigid plate having a longitudinal groove in its inner side adjacent said rail, connecting with a series 40 of openings which taper toward the outer side of said rails, a movable fish plate contacting with the outer side of said rails, means for moving said movable plate toward the rigid plate, said movableplate having a longitudinal groove in its'inner side adjacent said rails connecting with a. series of openings which are of the same size throughout their length, pins tapering to one end for a portion of their length and of the same size throughout the remaining portion, said tapered ends adapted to be inserted in the tapered "openings in the rigid fish plate with their uniform portions in the alined openings in the movable plate and in the openings through the track rails, and means in conjunction with the outer ends of said pins for preventing their removal.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES E. SHOPE.

' Witnesses:

Jos. A. Mason, J. KIM Rnxnnn.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

